Gazette News and information from CALDARO
No. 60
www.caldaro.com | +46 8-736 12 70
Locally grown joysticks, pedals and controls Page 2
CAN embedded in the latest Caldaro products Page 6
Get the grip Viper XT has made a great success in the world of heavy-duty vehicles. Get to know the evolution of Viper. Page 4
Flexibility and innovation When you are the leading OEM in your segment, a standard joystick, pedal or sensor isn’t good enough. These components are the link between man and machine and communicate the quality of the entire machine, so they have got to be better than what the competition is using. Our customers don’t come to us for an off-the-shelf product. They have specific needs or want a unique product with special features. Together with our customers, we build safety features into our products. You can’t have steering out of control, for example, so we offer fully redundant sensors in our products. This way the onboard “You can system can detect a rely on sensor failure and Caldaro, distinguish it from wherever an actual movement. you are.” Our customers tell us which functions are safety critical and we take up the gauntlet. We’re also continually working on the ergonomics. Designers of big, heavy-duty machines often like to have a large joystick with high activation forces, but we’ve recently been working with a major OEM who wanted to take the small fingertip movement joysticks we usually supply for forestry equipment and apply them to their huge mining trucks – a bold decision. But very well received by the operators, allowing them to reach a higher efficiency and less fatigue. Of course, it’s not only the ergonomics and mechanical design that allow fine movements. All our joysticks and pedals are electronic, which means they are more responsive than their traditional hydraulic counterparts. We sell our products in more than 40 countries around the globe. We have a subsidiary in the USA and work with a network of trusted distributors around the world. You can rely on Caldaro, wherever you are in the world.
Claudio Talamo, CEO Caldaro AB
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The strength of local crafts Caldaro’s joysticks, pedals, and marine controls are used in a variety of areas throughout the world. However, the products themselves are “locally grown,” with all sub-components made close to Caldaro’s factories. This way of working saves time, money, and the environment – and results in better products. PÄR HELLGREN, ONE OF CALDARO’S
design engineers in Kalmar in the southeast of Sweden, believes strongly in the benefits of being close to everything that affects the manufacturing of the joysticks and pedals. He has worked for Caldaro since 2005. Already from the start, he and his colleagues began to look for suppliers of subcomponents close to the Caldaro production site in Kalmar. Since then, the team has created a cluster of producers who are all within three hours of reach from Kalmar. Several of the suppliers are as close as just a few minutes away. According to Pär Hellgren, working with “local produce” has several advantages. “One of these advantages is that we become fast and flexible. If we were to take parts from other countries, for example from Asia, we would have to wait a long time while they were transported. With suppliers nearby, we can solve things during the same day,” says Pär Hellgren.
Changes made immediately
Pär is often present when parts for a new joystick or pedal are produced. Just as a baker can taste the bread directly when it comes out of the oven, he can immediately test if the part meets expectations. “If we need to make changes, we can make them right away. It is also easier for me to capture feedback from the manufacturer when I am at their production site. They are specialists in their craft and often come up with tips on how we could change details of our products to utilize the material to the maximum,” says Pär Hellgren. The set-up is almost the same in Flen, where Caldaro manufactures all
Plastic injection molding
2 hours 3
ADVANTAGES OF KEEPING IT LOCAL 1 Great flexibility 1 Low transport costs 1 Sustainable production process 1 Increased personal presence and control 1 At hand cooperation with continuous improvements
its marine controls. Flen is situated a 1.5-hour drive west of Stockholm, and the production site has been in the small town since 1985. During this time, Caldaro has had the opportunity to find the very best subcontractors in the area. Distances to the manufacturers range from just over an hour down
Machine tooling Surface treatment Electronics Screen printing and surface treatment
Caldaro Marine Production
Precision engineered machine tooling
Assembly
1 hour 3 30 min 3 Molding tools and prototypes of plastic parts Distances to sub-suppliers to Caldaro in Flen (marine production) and Kalmar (joysticks and pedals) are short.
Assembly Joysticks and Pedals
Metal machine tooling
1 hour 3
Precision engineered machine tooling Assembly
30 min 3
to a few seconds: the neighboring company.
Faster transports
Stefan Hansson is Caldaro’s quality manager in Flen and is convinced that customers get better products thanks to the proximity to the subcontractors. “Having the suppliers so close, we get fast communication, high flexibility,
Rubber injection molding
Prototyping
Compression springs
better control, and we always have the opportunity to be present at production. If some parts do not fit, we go to the supplier’s factory and adjust production methods and processes. We might also do mounting on site until it works instead of sending parts between each other.” Stefan Hansson also puts much commitment into finding transports
that speed up the processes, and at the same time, cut the carbon footprint. “Sustainability and environmentally friendly transports are at least as important as quality. For example, we discovered that one shipping company made a detour of five hours before delivering it to us. After changing, the same transport is done in just two hours.”
Caldaro takes part in UN Global Compact Caldaro is one of the first joystick manufacturers to sign the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest and most widely embraced voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. “Now will the efforts we are already putting into these questions get a different substance. The collaboration also gives us support in our continued commitment”, says Claudio Talamo, CEO of Caldaro. In total, 10,000 companies and 4,000 organizations in 162 countries have signed
the ten principles of the framework that deal with respect for human rights, labor conditions, environment and anti-corruption. “For us it is natural to participate because almost everything we do, from manufacturing our products to transportation, is concerning sustainability issues.” “It is also stimulating to become part of a global movement, where most of our global customers are also involved, and feel that together we form a strong force for the future”, says Claudio Talamo.
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VIPER’S GOT THE GRIP The latest addition to the Viper family is ViperXT – a joystick grip featuring up to three analogue controls, of which two can be used simultaneously. CALDARO LAUNCHED THE VIPER XT 2016 after being approached by the leading manufacturer of construction machines. This company had been co-working with Caldaro for the past ten years on Viper, now they asked for more functions in their joysticks. Petter Löfgren, engineer and technical manager at Caldaro: “The company asked for the ability of steering control in the handle, and thanks to the versatility of Viper we managed to put that proportional lever on the front. The steering lever and the proportional thumb rocker button for controlling hydraulic attachments can be used simultaneously. This allows the operator to let go of the wheel and put the hands on the joysticks to drive the machine, and still maneuvering the attachments.” The ViperXT became the third addition to the Viper family. The story of the grips started in the early 2000’s when Caldaro was asked to develop a handle for the European off-highway industry for the market leader of hydraulic systems. Petter Löfgren was appointed to run the project. The project never took
off, but Caldaro didn’t want to put an end to their new and innovative product. Petter and his team continued their work. “The ideas were too good not to be implemented. We had solutions how to put more important functions into a handle, and we knew how to make it very appealing to both eye and touch”, says Petter Löfgren. In 2005, the story took a new turn when the producer of construction machines approached Caldaro. Their European branch had identified some new requirements for their handles. When Petter and his team compared the requests to the handle they had been working on, the two matched to a large extent. Petter Löfgren: “When getting that order, we could realize our plans. In 2006 we delivered the first Viper.” Twelve years after the introduction, the different versions of Viper appear in an increasing number of heavy-duty vehicles, to date 250.000. “For Viper to be fitted in new generations of machinery is the greatest credit of all.”
MODULAR SYSTEM Have it configured to suit your machine. The Viper family is available in many different versions, the possibilities for adapting the controls to your needs are almost endless. ViperXT can fit ten push-buttons and a proportional rocker, or five push-buttons, two proportional functions and an F-N-R. Redundant output is optional, and the push button switches are available with change-over function in case machine safety requires this.
THE BEST MATERIALS The best material has been chosen for each component. All of them to be optimised together as a complete joystick. Yet still possible to produce in an efficient way.
STABLE FOUNDATION The Caldaro heavy duty C14 joystick base.
» Viper family evolution } Viper A full-hand size joystick that combines ergonomy, great design, and functionality.
MADE IN SWEDEN All the work from development to production is done in Sweden. We cooperate with people from heavy industries who know what it means to use a joystick and combine their experience with handpicked experts from all over our nation.
} ViperPlus Offers additional functionality, including two extra push buttons above the faceplate.
Viper with operator p and safety improvm
Preview release at the Bauma Fair. 2004 4
2006
2008
2010
In 2014, the Viper multifunction joystick grip from Caldaro played a role in the blockbuster movie Transformers.
TWO-COMPONENT MOLD GRIP The molding procedure combines two automotive engineering plastics. The semi-soft overmold gives the handle a comfortable grip and ensures safe handling. The two-component mold, combined with male/female sealing and precise torque assembly makes the grip super sealed.
}  Viper Slim A down-sized Viper grip with the same functions as the Viper. Designed for our compact sized C15 joystick base.
New slimmed and safe CAN communication.
}  ViperXT An additional proportional function is added allowing up to three analog controls, of which two can be used simultaneously.
present sensor. An ergonomic ment for the operator.
2016
2017
2019 5
The CAN bus allows driver’s controllers, such as pedals and joysticks to communicate with each other without complex wiring in between. In turn this allows for several features to be added.
Caldaro CAN joystick
Easier, faster and more intuitive When customers asked for full CAN functionality on the existing C15 joystick, which is quite small, Caldaro accepted the challenge to incorporate all additional electronics onto the existing 37 mm circuit board. This was difficult as it already carries dual redundant sensor circuits for the two main axes of control. THE FINNISH COMPANY TECHNION creates electronic control systems for mobile machines. They asked the Swedish company Caldaro if they could integrate 6
CAN inside the C15 joystick. into the compact design of their C15 “We have supplied joysticks with joystick. This simplifies the assembly CAN for many years,” with fewer cables, explains Erik Kauppi, “The crane tip moves makes it easier to Sales Engineer at Calmount in a machine, at a smooth, constant daro, ”but we used and is more robust. speed, and the control to buy readymade The electronics system automatically CAN interface cards are extremely well and attach them to protected from both slows down the speed the bottom of the exvibration and moisin the end positions.” isting joystick, which ture, thanks to being was a clunky soluencapsulated inside a tion. What if we could offer a joystick silicon filled housing. with the card embedded inside, withCAN joystick and xCrane PRO out making the joystick any larger?” To construct a big forestry crane with Now Caldaro has built their own a long reach is a substantial test on the CAN interface and incorporated it
The new smart suspended pedal steering control system. Thanks to CAN technology each hydraulics controller can be mounted near the valve block. Removing unneeded cables greatly enhances reliability. Technion’s new xCrane PRO crane control system is the first application of Caldaro’s new CAN joystick. “The traditional crane control means that each cylinder is controlled with one joystick movement,” says Toni Lomakka, Sales Manager at Technion. “Our xCrane PRO brings crane operations to a completely new level with state-of-the-art tip control. Operators can now control the tip of the boom instead of controlling each cylinder separately. The crane operations become easier, faster and more intuitive.” “The operator can perform precise movements even with long reaches,” explains Toni. “The crane tip moves at a smooth, constant speed regardless of the outreach, and the control system automatically slows down the speed in the end positions.” When many actuators work seamlessly together, the operator experiences easier and smoother control, which in turn increases productivity. “This also means that fuel consumption decreases and even the machine operator saves his energy,” says Toni.
Easier to fulfill safety demands
A demo of xCrane Pro.
Caldaro has in fact developed an entire technical platform for easily adapting functionality to meet specific customer requirements. This includes the creation of hardware and software that run automated tests that in just days simulate a huge number of scenarios, including many that you typically won’t encounter in traditional field testing. “All hardware has passed systematic tests before it gets incorporated into a joystick.” explains Petter Löfgren, Technical Manager at Caldaro. ”To make it even safer, we implemented duplicate processors, which made the challenge more difficult yet. The new CAN card is armed with two powerful 32-bit processors.” Caldaro aims to be one step ahead in product safety. This includes making the CAN joystick future-proof. “The new CAN hardware is designed to meet extremely tough safety requirements,” continues Petter. “As soon as we are ready with the software and have verified the product with compliance testing, we can offer ISO 13849 Pl-d/ CAT3 electronics in all our joysticks and pedals.”
Since Caldaro launched the P09 three years ago, pedal design can never go back to what it was before. Soon customers got in touch, asking them to create a wall-mounted version of P09. Caldaro found a way to create a suspended pedal with a totally new look but keeping the smart features from the P09 such as minimal number of components, and protected electronics in a compact design. The result is The P11. the P11, a modern pedal made of aluminium that withstands the toughest conditions. ”The solution is so unique that we have applied for Intellectual Property Protection”, says Claudio proudly. ”We care intensely about design, and it matters that all our products are well thought-out. It also makes it easier for machine designers to implement our pedal into their designs. Design and function are one”, says Claudio Talamo, CEO of Caldaro.
Pedal at 45 degrees Finnish company Vilakone Oy, was seeking to replace their current pedal with a more robust and longer lasting version, but there wasn’t plenty of options suitable for their needs. “We thought we would need to change the floor construction of the cabin to get the pedal ergonomics right. But the people from Caldaro quickly responded to us with a 45-degree version of the pedal that was a perfect fit for our use”, says Antti Lindström, industrial designer at Vilakone. Also the signals, connector, and the wiring of the pedal were customized by Caldaro to meet the specification of Vilakone. “We always try to meet the needs. Now I can have an extra smile on my face when I see a Wille machine doing the snow clearance here in Stockholm,” says Erik Kauppi, sales engineer at Caldaro.
The P09 made for Vilakone. 7
Published by: Caldaro AB Responsible publisher: Erik Kauppi Production: Lovstrom Content
Address, Head office Box 30049, SE-104 25 Stockholm, Sverige Street address: Warfvinges väg 39 info@caldaro.se Tel: +46 (0)8 736 12 70 Fax: +46 (0)8 736 12 90 www.caldaro.com
United Kingdom 616 Jubilee Road Letchworth, Herts SG6 INE United Kingdom info@caldaro.co.uk Tel: 0800 169 7950 www.caldaro.com
Germany Gewerbepark 23 DE-85250 Altomünster Germany info@caldaro.com Tel: +49 (0)3222 109 2586 www.caldaro.com
USA 2733 Harvey Street Hudson, WI 54016 USA info@caldaro.com Tel: +1 630-357-1106 www.caldaro.com
Photo: Anna Rut Fridholm
A joy(stick) for the sake of ergonomics Ergonomics make all the difference for using the Caldaro C15 inside a big drill rig. ”Just using this new joystick and no heavy pulling in hydraulic levers saves your shoulders and back,” says machine operator Peter Öberg.
Operator Peter Öberg have all he need in these C15 joysticks at the armrest of his chair. C15 Lion is a powerful joystick developed with the operator in focus.
THE DRILL RIG STANDS ON TOP OF THE
rock looking like the fire-breathing dragon out of your childhood storybooks. Inside the big machine sits Peter Öberg comfortably in his armchair. By only using his hands and fingertips, he steers the giant machine. “I have been operating these big drilling machines for 13 years. It has always been quite grueling operating the old hydraulic levers. However, since I started operating this machine I have all I need in these joysticks”, says Peter Öberg pointing at the C15 joysticks at each armrest of his chair. With the help of a pedal on the floor, he can switch mode for the joystick to move the drill rig into the right GPS coordinates for the next drilling hole. “Using the joysticks together with the computer screen in front of me makes it easy being just in position.” Caldaro has always developed products with the operator in focus. It is vital that the operator comfortably can operate a machine a full day with minimum stress to avoid musculoskeletal injuries.
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Small movement is enough to steer this giant machine.